MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Twins have added Paul Molitor to their coaching staff, assigning him supervision of the teams base running, bunting, infield instruction and positioning as well as assistance with in-game strategy. Discount Browns Jerseys . This is not some token job for a prominent, popular former player. All of those areas need a lot of work, so Molitor is going to be busy. "Hes certainly got a history and knowledge and a high baseball IQ," general manager Terry Ryan said. "Theres no doubt about that. It fits pretty good here." The hire was announced Tuesday by the Twins, who finished 66-96 for the second straight season after going 63-99 the year before that. "Theres really no part of the game that we cant do better at," Molitor said, adding: "Im going to be able to work on guys who need to have a small-ball game, with the things they can do, with ways to score runs. I think thats kind of a lost art. Guys worry so much about getting on base, but they forget how to score and how to pick up 90 feet. While it wasnt horrible, I think it certainly could be better." Since 2005, Molitor has served as a minor league base running and infield co-ordinator for the organization. The last three of his 21 major league seasons as a player came with the Twins until his retirement in 1998. The 57-year-old grew up in nearby St. Paul, attending the same high school where Joe Mauer later starred and then playing for the University of Minnesota before his professional career was launched with Milwaukee and extended with Toronto. The seven-time All-Star is one of six players in history with at least 3,000 hits and 500 stolen bases. Molitor was a candidate to be Minnesotas manager in 2002 after Tom Kelly retired, but he withdrew during the unsettling process during which Major League Baseball tried to eliminate the franchise before being blocked in court. The job went to Ron Gardenhire, who has held it since then and received a new two-year contract last month. All of Gardenhires assistants were brought back, too, so the position for Molitor on staff is new. "I appreciate that hes respected my input in spring training when hes had me come down there as an extra coach those first few weeks the past several years," Molitor said. "Weve talked again often. Its going to be a chance for us to take that kind of to another level in how were going to work together, as me being as part of his staff." Gardenhire neednt look over his shoulder, Ryan said. The idea to hire Molitor was Gardenhires, actually. "Gardy has no reason to worry about his job," Ryan said, adding: "I didnt want to be perceived as hiring Molitor as a manager-in-waiting. Thats not true. Were adding him to our staff to make us better." Molitor didnt dismiss eventual interest in becoming a manager. But he didnt sound ready to think about it. "Im sure therell be some questions regarding that. Theres been a lot of speculation even over the last season about Gardys potential future, and I just dont think that I can really say anything other than this is going to be invaluable for me in terms of getting back into a major league situation and continuing to gain experience and maybe learning more about what I want my future to be," Molitor said. Third baseman Trevor Plouffe tweeted after the news was announced: "Wow, so stoked to see Molitor join our staff! Hes one of the most knowledgeable baseball men Ive ever met." Ryan was glad to hear that. "Thats kind of music to my ears because Im hoping we can get Trevor going. Hes got the capability to be a pretty good player. This year wasnt what we were hoping," Ryan said. NOTES: The Twins announced that closer Glen Perkins had arthroscopic surgery on Oct. 1 on the medial meniscus cartilage in his right knee. Hell be ready for spring training. ... Molitor has served three seasons on a major league coaching staff: with the Twins as a bench coach under Kelly in 2000 and 2001 and as hitting coach for Seattle in 2004, the year he was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Buy Cheap Browns Jerseys . The top-ranked Williams carried her winning momentum from 2013 into the new season, beating No. 2-ranked Victoria Azarenka 6-4, 7-5 on Saturday to defend her title at the Brisbane International and set the tone for the Australian Open. Browns Jerseys From China . -- Howie Kendrick had a two-run single in his first game batting leadoff this season, Chris Iannetta hit a pair of RBI singles and the Los Angeles Angels beat Cleveland 6-4 Tuesday night, sending the Indians to their fifth straight defeat.SUNRISE, Fla. -- A timely save by Alex Stalock helped turned the momentum to the Sharks favour. Joe Pavelski, Matt Nieto and Joe Thornton scored and Stalock made 24 saves for his first career shutout and the San Jose Sharks topped the Florida Panthers 3-0 on Thursday night. Leading 1-0, the Sharks scored two goals in the third period, the first one following a great save by Stalock. Scottie Upshall took a shot from in front but Stalock stuck his leg out to barely block it. The Sharks took the puck quickly back the other way and Tyler Kennedy took a shot from the right side of the crease. Tim Thomas stretched to block it, but Nieto was there to sweep in the rebound at 4:44. "I ended up getting there and sometimes that happens where you make a big save on one end and right away on the other you get a chance like that," Stalock said. "We capitalized and that was a big turning point." Upshall thought he had a great chance at a goal. "I pretty much had the whole net to shoot at and he got his leg on it," Upshall said. "It could have been a game-tying play. Unfortunately, it went the other way." Stalock recorded his first shutout in 14 NHL games. "A win is a win on the road, but the first shutout is pretty special, something to remember," Stalock said. Stalock played his 11th game of the season to give starting goalie Antti Niemi a rest and made the most of his opportunity. "The goaltender was fine. A big save at 1-0, then back the other way for 2. Well take it," Sharks coach Todd McLellan said. Thomas made 36 saves for the Panthers. The Sharks, who defeated Washington 2-1 oon Tuesday, won consecutive road games for the first time since taking three straight Nov. Austin Corbett Jersey. 12-15. They beat the Panthers for the first time in five games, dating to the 2008-09 season. The Sharks stretched their lead to 3-0 when Pavelski poked a rebound into the net at 11:46 of the third. Pavelski leads the Sharks with 22 goals and has 13 points in his past 13 games. San Jose took a 1-0 lead in the second on Thorntons breakaway goal. Thornton got a loose puck in the neutral zone, skated in on Thomas and put the puck over Thomass glove with 51 seconds left in the period. Thornton has 15 points in his past 13 games. "I dont know the last time I had a breakaway," Thornton said. "I wanted to float one in and see if I could catch him off guard and I did." Thomas stopped 21 shots in the first period, the most in a period against the Panthers since they allowed 21 against Ottawa on Dec. 3, also in the first period. "Obviously not happy that they were taking it to us pretty hard and they were the team that was ready to play and we werent," Thomas said. "Theyre a good team. They looked like a very good team against us tonight." The Sharks have been the best first-period team in the league with 52 goals, but Thomas was able to keep them out of the net. The Sharks had a 5-on-3 power play for 1:29 in the first, but the Panthers were able to kill off the penalty. The Panthers havent allowed a power-play goal in seven games. The Panthers are 0-for-25 on the power play over the past eight games. NOTES: Thornton leads the Sharks with 51 points. ... The Panthers havent played the Sharks since a 5-3 win on Dec. 3, 2011. Cheap Ducks Jerseys Cheap Coyotes Jerseys Cheap Bruins JerseysCheap Sabres Jerseys Cheap Flames Jerseys Cheap Hurricanes Jerseys Cheap Blackhawks Jerseys Cheap Avalanche Jerseys Cheap Blue Jackets Jerseys Cheap Stars Jerseys Cheap Red Wings Jerseys Cheap Oilers Jerseys Cheap Florida Panthers Jerseys Cheap Los Angeles Kings Jerseys Cheap Wild Jerseys ' ' '